


ready to try.

by fatsnape



Category: Until Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: Angst and Humor, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Chris is a good friend, F/M, Josh Washington Needs a Hug, M/M, Multi, josh deserved so much better, jossam mentioned, maybe just a LITTLE washingroe, not really climbing class but climbing class, the ending josh deserves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:07:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26842615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fatsnape/pseuds/fatsnape
Summary: the ending josh really deserved. pretty much mainly focused on josh, but it mentions some other characters.josh washington deserves better club!!!!!
Relationships: Chris Hartley & Josh Washington, Chris Hartley/Josh Washington, Josh Washington & Everyone, Mike Munroe/Josh Washington, Sam Giddings/Josh Washington
Comments: 1
Kudos: 37





	ready to try.

**Author's Note:**

> i made this a few months ago, but i love josh sm so, enjoy! <3

piercing, echoing cries bounced off of the cold walls. the two adults shuddered side by side, a sliver of fear digging into their hearts. the taller of the two stopped, his eyes glancing to the other.

"hey— you're welcome to turn back, but if there's a chance this boy is down here, i'm not leaving. i have to keep going. understood?" he commented, his eyes tearing away from hers to focus on the path ahead of them.

"no, no way. i'm fine. it's my job to go find him, just like yours. even if this shit is beyond creepy." she muttered, a short, unamused laugh falling from her lips. the male nodded, and continued on.

as the two approached, the cries rang louder, leading them to their target. turning a corner to the right, the two noticed the shape, lying against the wall, hands pulled over their head. the female turned towards the male, fear evident in her eyes. the male nodded curtly, stepping towards the figure.

"joshua?" the male asked softly, his hand slowly moving towards the shape. the figure looked up, and bloodshot, piercing green eyes met his own. the male almost shuddered at the pure emotion, just painted on the boys face. "it's okay, i'm not here to hurt you, my name is jonathan, i'm a ranger. that's amelia, we came to find you." he added, crouching just to be eye-level with the trembling boy.

to say that joshua looked frightened would be an understatement. as the older male spoke, his eyes met the female behind him. she looked nearly as panic-stricken as he. he could hardly blame her. the hazel-eyed male would rather be anywhere else. as he watched her, she raised a walkie talkie to her mouth.

"we found him." the woman started, her eyes never leaving the male in front of her. "there's just one survivor." she added grimly. josh came to the realisation that they must have seen the bodies too. the bodies that haunted him, constantly reminding him of the monster he was. taunting him. killing him.

but that wasn't all, that wasn't the only reminder of the horrible things that josh did. no, he also had his sisters, and his therapist, his friends, everyone. they were all there, to remind him incase he possibly forgot. except, it wasn't / truly / them. but that didn't stop the male from believing them. he couldn't help but believe the fact that samantha giddings knew he was a monster, that michael munroe would let him rot in those mines, that christopher hartley would leave him behind, just to save his girlfriend, again and again.

they never stopped, only becoming more and more horrifying and they continued. it was all josh had in the mines. for a week. a week of being alone, empty, horrified. a week of hell.

"hey— josh? you with me? we're gonna get you out of here, okay? can you stand?" the male, jonathan addressed him. his palm resting against the boys shoulder.

josh nodded, his eyes casting down the floor. he wouldn't let himself gain hope, nor would he allow himself to even believe there was a chance of him getting out. the last person that told him that they would get him out left, and he didn't know if they escaped. he hoped, he / dreamed / that his friends made it out safely. that he was the only one left behind. but he had no way of knowing.

there was no getting out of the mines by himself, not in the condition he was in. not with those monsters out there... not with.. hannah. she hadn't come back for him, not since she left him down there. none of them had. he'd been left with the quiet echoes of the damp cave. left with nothing but his own voice, which he heard quite regularly.

he hadn't eaten in days, nor had he slept, or anything. he couldn't sleep, not in the mines. but he didn't have the time to think about that anymore, not when there were two people that he didn't know, tugging on his arm to move forward. a comforting hand placed against the small of his back, moving him forward encouragingly.

the next few minutes passed as a blur, he only stopped when he saw the remains of the lodge. it wasn't that he was exactly discouraged at the sight. he wasn't planning on coming back, not anymore. but it was the feeling of all his memories being wiped away, like he never had them at all. all he could remember was the terror that ran through him when he was woken up, a figure in front of him, panicked, telling him that his sisters had disappeared.

and the distant memories of the horrible things he did to the people that once considered him a friend. he couldn't say that he didn't mean to. because he did— he wanted to make them / hurt / for what they did to him. for what they took from him. but he didn't want any of this to happen. he just wanted to laugh it off with his friends, for everyone to have forgiven each other, finally.

to bury the hatchet. but no, his friends had died. because of his own stupidity. because he wanted something as simple as revenge. if he was on his meds, would he have still gone through with it? most likely. but it wouldn't have been anything like what had happened. the regret burning through him made sure of that. it would've been lighter, something that couldn't have done.. this.

he might've not been a monster, like what his sister became, but he was something worse. he was the puppet-master. he was pulled out of his thoughts by the same voice that pulled him out of the mines.

"hey— josh, we gotta keep moving. you're almost there. you'll be okay, i know that it's hard, but you'll be okay." the male uttered, his gaze burning holes into joshua's.

distantly, he felt himself nod, and keep moving forwards. he faintly felt the tears cascading down his cheek. from that point on, he hardly kept conscious. his gaze trained on the snowy ground, his mind muddled.

by the time that josh was aware of his surroundings again, he was in a building. the boy still flinched whenever someone touched him without warning. he sat by himself in a cold room, several blankets swarmed him, keeping him as warm as a furnace. he felt heat rising to his cheeks, a feeling he never thought he'd feel again.

the two adults, amelia and jonathan, left him. he could faintly hear their voices beyond the metal door that hung tightly to the wall. disbelief flew throughout his mind like wildfire. the very thought that josh had made it out, seemed so incredibly unbelievable. he almost thought he was dreaming. but he never had dreams like this anymore. only nightmares. nightmares that woke him in a sweat, throat burning from screams, a familiar blonde by his side, trying her best to comfort him. she was always there for him, back then.

she never hesitated when he called, and what did he do to her? he subjected her to a night of fucking hell. something that she, out of all people, never deserved. something that josh himself felt he truly deserved.

he was pulled out of his own thoughts once again, by a voice. only this time it wasn't calm, and comforting. it was frightened, and high. it was a familiar voice.

"dude— get the fuck off of me. i'm getting in there. he's my best friend! you're not gonna stop me from seeing him!" the muffled voice hissed, and the hazel-eyed male watched as the door flung open.

the emotion that ran through him was beyond joy, or anything he's ever felt before. the very fact that he was alive sent a feeling through his body that he's never felt before.

"cochise..." his hoarse voice cried, and josh was quite sure he'd never moved as quickly as he did then. burying himself in the sweater of the blonde. and in the safety of the male's arms, he wept harder than he ever had before. he sobbed until his chest ached, and his head felt numb.

"hey man. it's uh— it's so fucking great to see you again." the blonde choked out, and josh could hear the relief in his voice. he almost felt himself smile, distantly feeling the corner of his lips tugging upwards.

"i thought you were—" the tan boy started, but was quickly cut off.

"i know, i know. i thought you were too. but we're okay. we're gonna be okay." chris comforted him, a hand running through the brunettes locks. the two were still tied together in a tight embrace, neither wanting to let go, to lose this moment.

"who— who got out? is everyone.." josh questioned, reluctantly pulling away slowly to meet chris' eyes. he knew that some didn't make it out, that was made clear enough by the bodies that hung for josh to see. and yet he felt his heart drop at the look in the blonde's eyes.

"sam, mike, jess, and matt." chris admitted, his voice breaking at the end. the older of the two was torn between emotions. on one side, some made it out. and on the other, some didn't. he felt another sob rack through his body.

"i'm sorry, i'm so so sorry." josh admitted, his head falling against the blonde's chest. he felt chris wrap his arms around him once more, comforting him to the best of his ability.

"josh, it's not your fault, okay? you know that right? you... you fucked up, man. but it's okay. you didn't know this would happen. it's / not your fault /." chris admitted, his arms only clasping tighter around josh's frame.

he shook his head, slightly, against his chest. a part of it was true, sure. josh wasn't directly to blame for the fact that his parents bought a lodge on a batshit crazy mountain, but if he hadn't brought them all back..

"it's not. your fault." the blonde repeated, as if he sensed the tan boy's thoughts. "everyone knows that, okay? none of us blame you.. and we're gonna get you the help that you need." he affirmed, pulling back to address josh fully.

despite himself, he nodded. he almost allowed himself to believe chris' words. maybe they would get him help, but he knew that they would blame him. it would be smart for them to. they should.

"okay, uh— mike and sam are out there. practically had to hold them back from busting down the door themselves. jess and matt are back at the hotel. none of us wanted to go very far incase they found you." chris admitted, fully pulling away from the embrace to latch an arm around his side.

"you think you're ready to go see everyone, man? 'cause if not— that's perfectly cool, i get it—" the blonde started.

"i'm ready." josh confirmed, his hand grasping the other's tightly, a very slight smile pulled across his face. the other man nodded, pulling them towards the door, his eyes never leaving josh's.

it might take a while, but josh was ready. if they never forgave him, he didn't blame them. he'd never forgive himself. but, he was ready to try.

he was ready to try.


End file.
